Tube-cleaning apparatus.



C. ROBINETT & J.P. REID.

TUBE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1908.

977,223. A Patented N0v.29,1910. y

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w 22' b* F192.

@im f l zo v /4 3 /0 I6 l0 .S /J 2, /l 9, '7\ 7 8 11 n/ a?, 2

53 3a. 30v O .32

Q 0 o o l7@ '-O' 0 0 0 nuwwl'oz/ @0H/masses I v ,22 7% W mi da @am om@f2/L O A4 L 1H: Nomzrs versus cn., wAsHmGrN, D. c,

G. ROBINBTT & J. P. REID.

TUBE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1908.

rm: Nom-els Pares-s cc., wAsHrNcrcN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT *FCE CLINTON ROBINETT AND JOHN PATRICK REID, OFDAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE LAGONDA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0FSPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TUBE-CLEANING APPARATUS.

To all `whom it' may concern:

Be it known that we, CLINTON ROBINETT and JOHN PATRICK REID, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTube-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specication,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a tube cleaning apparatus and moreparticularly to an apparatus for cleaning the tubes in a water tubeboiler.

In boilers of this class the heat and limited area of the drum make itvery diliicult and exhausting to enter and work in the drum for thepurpose of cleaning the tubes; and the object of our invention is toprovide means for handling and operating the tube cleaner from aposition outside the drum. This we accomplish by employing means in thedrum of the boiler whereby the cleaner can be advanced from outside thedrum in the direction of its length and guided into the tubes andauxiliary devices adapted to be operated from outside the drum to movethe cleaner at right angles to its line of advancement whereby thecleaner can be positioned over any one of the tubes and guided therein.

lVith these and other objects in view our invention consists of theconstructions and combinations hereinafter described and set forth inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly insection of a tube cleaning apparatus embodying our invention, Fig. 2 isa plan view and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of same.

Like numerals represent the same parts in the several views.

In the drawings 1 represents the casing of a steam drum of a verticalwater tube boiler and 2 the tubes in said boiler. A cross piece 3 whichforms the support for a carriage to be hereinafter described is providedwith legs 4 each pivoted at one end to the cross piece and provided witha roller 5 at the other end that rests against the inner wall of thecasing 1, a removable cross bar 6 bolted to the legs holding saine inplace; and extensions 7 with rollers 8 adjustable on the cross piece bytightening the nuts 9 on Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 21, 1908.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

serial No. 454,094. Y

bolts that extend through slots 10 of the extensions 7 and are fixed inears 3b that project from the portion 3a of the cross piece form themeans of adjusting the support to the casing 1; and the rollers 5 and 8on the legs and extensions form a carriage to permit the easy movementof the support longitudinally in the drum. The cross piece 3 is providedwith a slot 11 and the portion 3a of said cross piece is enlarged incross section to form a track or railway for a carriage to move thereonas particularly shown in Fig. 1.

A carriage comprising rollers 12 and 13 engaging opposite sides of theportion 3a of the cross piece and a frame having the side plates 14 and15 secured together by bolts 16 is movable on the support, the plate 14passing through the slot 11 of the cross piece. A guide pipe 17 issecured within an opening through the plates 14 and 15 and forms a,journal on which the large roller 12 rotates and the small roller isjournaled on one of the bolts 16.

A pipe 18 having a coupling.19 is removably secured to the cross piece 3by the bars 20 with bolts as shown. Said pipe is supported at its outerend in a box 21 through which it can be moved longitudinally and saidvbox may be held in any suitable manner. le have shown it supported bymeans of oppositely extending spindles 22 secured thereto, the outerends of which rest against the flange 23 of an opening through Athecasing 1, one of said spindles being in two parts screw threaded andprovided with a turn buckle 24 as shown to tighten the box in a fixedposition.

A feed hose 25 having a rotary cleaner 26 on the end thereof isintroduced through the opening in the drum casing and into the guidepipe 17 extending over the tubes. The feed hose may be supported in anysuitable manneron the pipe 18; but we have shown a frame 27 secured tothe pipe with grooved rollers 28 and 29 through the oppositely disposedgrooves of which the hose is adapted to pass.

To eyelets 30 on opposite sides of the carriage we attach ropes 31 ofsuitable material, which are carried through eyelets 32 on opposite endsof the portion of the cross piece 3a, thence through eyelets 33 on thecoupling 19 and through the opening in the steam drum so that they canbe manually operated from outside the drum to move the carriage.

1t will be seen that the support with the carriage can be insertedthrough the opening in the drum head and moved from outside the drum sothat the guide pipe Will open over each successive tube longitudinallywith the length of the drum and that by means of the ropes manipulatedfrom outside the drum the carriage can be moved transversely to thelength of the drum in a plane at right angles to the axes of the tubesthus giving a universal movement to position the guide pipe over any oneof the tubes whereby the tube cleaner will be guided therein.

Having thus described our invention we claim:

l. The combination of a feed hose having a rotar7 tube cleaner on oneend thereof, two supporting carriages therefor located in the steam drumof a water tube boiler, means within said drum on which said carriagesare adapted to move longitudinally at an angle to each other, andseparate means, each extending outside of said drum and manipulated froma position outside thereof to cause said movement of the respectivecarriages, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a flexible member having a tube cleaner thereon,two supporting carriages therefor located in the steam drum of a watertube boiler, means on one of said carriages on which the other isadapted to move longitudinally at an angle to the movement of both onthe inner walls of said drum and separate means each extending outsidesaid drum and manipulated from a position outside thereof to cause therespective movements of the carriages, substantially as described.

The combination of a feed hose having a rotary tube cleaner on one endthereof, a support therefor extending longitudinally in the drum of aboiler and having a transversely extending track or railway in saiddrum, a carriage movable on said track having a guide to direct saidfeed hose and cleaner into a tube and means manipulated from a positionoutside said drum to impart movement to said carriage and position saidguide to direct said hose and cleaner into any one of a row of tubes,substantially as described.

4. rlhe combination of a member having a tube cleaner thereon. a supporttherefor movable longitudinally in the drum of a boiler with meansmanipulated from a position out-- side the drum to impart said movement,said support having a track or railway thereon disposed at an angle toits line of advancement in the drum, a carriage movable on said track orrailway having a guide to direct said member and cleaner into a tube,means erases to tix said support in an adjusted position and meansmanipulated from a position outside the drum to impart movement to saidcarriage and position said guide to direct said member and cleaner intoany one of a row of tubes, substantially as described.

The combination of a member having a tube cleaner thereon, a supporttherefor extending into the drum of a boiler with means on which it isadapted to move on the inner walls of said drum, said support having atrack or railway thereon disposed at an angle to its line of advancementin the drum, a carriage movable on said track or railway adapted toguide and direct said member and cleaner into a tube, means to tix saidsupport in an adjusted position and means manipulated from a positionoutside said drum to impart movement to said carriage, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of a feed hose having a rotary tube cleaner on oneend thereof, a support therefor extending longitudinally in the drum ofa boiler and having a transversely extending track or railway, acarriage movable on said track or railway having a guide thereon openingonto a tube adapted to direct said hose and cleaner into the tube andmeans manipulated from a position outside said drum to impart movementto said carriage to position and guide said feed hose and cleaner intoany one of a row of tubes, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a member having a tube cleaner thereon, asupporttherefor adjustable to the inner walls of the drum of a boilerand movable longitudinally on said walls by manipulation from a positionoutside the drum, said support having a track or railway disposed at anangle to its line of advancement in the drum, a carriage movable on saidtrack or railway adapted to guide and direct said member and cleanerinto a tube, means to fix said support in an adjusted position, saidmeans being accessible from a Vposition outside the drum, and meansmanipulated from a position outside the drum to impart movement to saidcarriage, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a member having a tube cleaner thereon, saidmember and cleaner extending into the drum of a boiler and beingshiftable longitudinally therein, a support located in said drum andhaving a track or railway disposed transversely to the line ofadvancement of said member and cleaner, a carriage movable on said trackor railway having a guide to direct said member and cleaner into a tubeand means manipulated from a position outside the drum to move saidcarriage and position said guide to direct said member and cleaner intoany one of a row of tubes, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a. flexible member p having a tube cleaner thereonand a support and guide for the same adapted to be insert ed in the drumof a boiler with means located outside said drum to shift said memberand cleaner and the support and guide longitudinally in the drum, thelongitudinal movement of the member and cleaner being independent of thelongitudinal movement of the support and guide, said guide being adaptedto open into a tube and further arranged to move on said supporttmnsversely` to the line of its longitudinal advancement and carry saidmember and cleaner therewith, means manipulated from outside said drum,independent of said support, to cause said transverse movement andposition said 15 guide to direct said member and cleaner into any one ofa plurality of tubes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, We hereunto aiiix our signatures in the presenceof tWo Wt- 20 nesses.

CLINTON ROBINETT. JOHN PATRICK REID. Vitnesses H. S. BRADLEY, F. I/V.KREHBmL.

